Nathaniel Noble, a Little Rock native, who serves on several civic and professional organizations and is a mentor to local youth, was the speaker at the sixth annual black history program Thursday at the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie.

“My heart is with the children of today," Noble, who is also a Russian translator and linguist for the U.S. Army in charge of Soviet communications, said. "Their foundation is the key to everything they do and become."

Noble recalled the story of a man he knew, who built a new home and kept having problems with cracks reappearing in the walls. He was becoming more frustrated about the condition each day and finally they told him it was a problem with the foundation.

"Teaching children the foundation of life along with tutoring school studies with them are also important," Noble said.

It is important for children to see positive attitudes by a group of professional men explaining the things that are important for a healthy life, Noble said.

"With children you have to begin young and not wait too late," Noble said. “To catch them early in age is the key to their success."

Noble said his group of men began and founded the Little Rock Preparatory Academy for students from Kindergarten through eighth grade to be guided with mentoring skills as well as developing academic skills.

"If we have love for our children, we have to make a difference with showing that love with actions that will carry them after school, Noble said.

Noble recalled the stories of his past students, their insecurities when they began, their fears and the turn they made to improve their lives to being productive adults in society.

"Their character skills will improve as well as their school grades," Noble said. "That is caused by cultivating their foundation skills."

Alice Ice, a mentor at Travelers Missionary Baptist Church in Stuttgart, brought her youth choir to observe the program and also provided a musical selection.

"We are very appreciative for the speaker for coming to the program and the people in attendance," Melanie Baden, director of the museum , said.

Noble, who resides in North Little Rock with his wife, Jamilyn and two sons, is the president of the Mosaic Templar's Society Building Preservation, a museum to preserve African American history and culture, located at Ninth and Broadway in Little Rock.